Shekarau : Don't Answer Their Call , Only If ... By Shehu Mustapha Chaji
Malam Ibrahim Shekarau the only two term Executive Governor of
Kano State
, is a Man that is use to swim against tides. When he first
emerge on the political scene before the 2003 elections, many
political pundits listed him among the unserious contenders and
suprisely he emerged victorious. So also during the 2007
elections against all odds breaking the traditional norm of not
having second term in Kano Goverment House, Governor Shekarau
broke the jinx ! And recently his supporters are calling on him
to seek for the office of
President of
Nigeria in 2011.
Constitutionally , Governor Shekarau is entitle to seek for
office of President of Federal Republic of Nigeria , and like
all Kanawas i will also look forward to the day a son of the
soil will become a democratically elected President of Nigeria
as no one from
Kano state have the priveledge of been elected as
President of Nigeria. And if Shekarau answered the call, will he
emerge victorious in a venture so many Kanawas have attempted
and failed?Prominent among them are Mallam
Aminu Kano
, Alhaji Yusuf
Maitama Sule (Dan Masanin Kano) , Alhaji Bashir Usman
Tofa and
Alhaji Abubakar Rimi.
The call on Shekarau to contest for presidency come 2011 is
getting louder and louder by the day , and he has neither answer
nor said what are his intentions after leaving Kano Goverment
House in 2011. Before the call snowball to a national dimension
, Shekarau should as a matter of urgency study the possibilities
or otherwise of the call and take appropriate position.
Already many political commentators have various views as to why
Governor Ibrahim
Shekarau might dive into the political terrain to seek
for Nigeria's presidency in 2011. Some are of the view that as
his party ANPP is the biggest
opposition party
in Nigeria
, he may be the party's presidential aspirant so as to enable
President Umaru Musa Yar'adua have a smooth coast to victory in
2011 elections, no matter how the election will be conducted
Shekarau will accept the result in good faith and will be
willing to board the goverment of national unity after the
elections. While some are of the view that Governor Ibrahim
Shekarau will be used to finally frustrate General
Muhammadu Buhari
out of ANPP even if he decides to stay put in the party after
the Supreme Court delivers it's judgement . As Shekarau a loyal
and law abiding party member may have upper hand against other
contenders like General Muhammadu Buhari if he decides to
contest against who are not loyal to party supremacy .
As for me i will sincerely advise Malam Ibrahim Shekarau to
study the terrain carefully before sticking his neck in this
risky and unpredictable venture of contesting for seat of
Nigeria's presidency. Firstly, he should be wise enough like
Senator Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura not to contest against
President Umaru Yar'adua if he decide to contest for second
term. Secondly, he should not contest against Genaral Muhammadu
Buhari even if he is not contesting on the platform of ANPP to
avoid missing in the presidential aspirants crowd such like
former Governor of Sokoto state Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa
during the 2007 elections . Thirdly, he should only contest if
his financial status improves or when he has solid promises of
getting financial support when he is into the race, in an
interview he granted last year , Shekarau said he doe'snt even
own a house of himself and if he leaves Kano Goverment House he
does not have a place to pack into.
But on the otherhand , Governor Shekarau can contest for
presidency if the leading
opposition
parties AC, PPA , DPP e.t.c decided to form alliance with
ANPP to defeat PDP with Shekarau as ANPP presidential aspirant .
And if also General Muhammadu Buhari , Alhaji Atiku Abibakar ,
Cheif Uzo Kalu , Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa all decided
not to contest for presidency in 2011 and also decided to
collectively support , back and campaign for Shekarau , then he
can also contest . And finally , if President Umaru Musa
Yar'adua advise him to contest wheater under the platform of PDP
if he is not contesting again or on the platform of ANPP or any
other party, he should'nt even hesitate , he can go ahead and
contest for presidency in 2011.
Governor Ibrahim Shekarau should resist the temptation for
contesting for presidency just for the sake of contesting or
overwhelmed by his previous accomplishments of dislodging a
sitting governor Alhaji Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso though he did not
have the financial capability for such venture and against all
expectations breaking the jinx of not having second term in Kano
State. Nigeria's presidency is a serious venture which all
beneficiaries had the backing and blessings of incumbents and
various groups of power elites. With so many hawks hovering
around the presidency it is not advisable for starters like
Governor Shekarau to venture into such murky waters.
The concern of Governor Ibrahim Shekarau should be centred on
how his loyalist should take over from him as the opposition
party in Kano state PDP led by heavy weight politicians like
Alhaji Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, Alhaji
Abubakar
Rimi, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na'abba , Alhaji Usman Sule Ruruwai ,
Alhaji Ibrahim Amin Little , Alhaji Garba Ahmed and supporters
of General Muhammadu Buhari led by Alhaji Haruna Ahmadu Zago
will all put all effort to have one of their own as next
governor of Kano state. What happen in Sokoto state during 2007
election can re-curr in Kano state if Shekarau like Bafarawa
went in search of the presidency but ended up loosing both.
The senate would have been more suitable for Shekarau in 2011 if
he has become less ambitious , but even the senate will be a
risky venture as the present senator representing Kano central ,
Shekarau's senatorial zone , Senator Muhammad Bello can only
stepdown for Shekarau if he annointed him as his successor.
May be most of those calling on Governor Ibrahim Shekarau to
contest for Nigeria's presidency are of the thought that if he
answer their call he will throw open the gate of Kano tresury
for them to have their fill as some former state governors did
during the 2007 elections used their state resources to seek for
Nigeria's presidency and are now today either in the custody of
EFCC or playing hide and seek with anti-corruption agencies .
2011 is a bid far away from now which gives Governor Shekarau
much time to fully study such calls as to either accept the call
or reject them. It either of the two da mugun rawa
gwamma kin tashi and da rashin tayi akan bar araha
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